The American College of Cardiology Foundation's NCDR(R) and the American Heart Association's GWTG Join Forces to Fight Heart Attacks May 2, 2008
The AHA will continue to fully administer the GWTG-Heart Failure and Stroke programs and NCDR will continue to fully administer and operate the CathPCI Registry, the ICD Registry, the CARE Registry and the IC3 Program. The transition to ACTION Registry-GWTG will be completed over the coming months. (PR Newswire)
Improvements in CHD deaths short lived in younger women? May 2, 2008
Data for all deaths between 1931 and 2005 in England and Wales were grouped by year, sex, age at death and contemporaneous ICD code for CHD as cause of death. CHD mortality rates by calendar year and birth cohort were produced for both sexes and rates of change were examined. (BioMed Central)
Psychologist develops post-operative care for heart patients in Bermuda Apr 10, 2008
The service, being developed in conjunction with the Bermuda Heart Foundation, will help support patients who have been fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). ICDs are used to treat irregular heart beats, which can lead to heart attacks ... If the heart rhythm increases in speed the ICD delivers low-voltage electrical impulses to the heart in an attempt to correct the rhythm. (EurekAlert!)
iPods May Not Put Pacemakers Off Beat Apr 2, 2008
Researchers report that iPods and other digital media players appear safe for people with pacemakers or ICD heart devices ... (WebMD) Digital media players such as the iPod may not interfere in a dangerous way with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), new research shows ... But to be on the safe side, people may want to keep digital medial players at least 6 inches away from their pacemaker or ICD -- for instance, not carrying it in a chest pocket -- and turning the... (CBS News)
Canada-wide Class Action Over St. Jude Riata Leads Apr 1, 2008
The class action was commenced by the Toronto firms Rochon Genova LLP and Kim Orr P.C. The Riata Leads are used with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). If a lead becomes dislodged, the ICD may not be able to restore the patient's heart to a normal cardiac rhythm, or it may provide unnecessary shocks ... Mrs. Pimblott was implanted with an ICD using Riata Leads in March, 2007. (Canada Newswire)
IPods And Similar Devices Found Not To Affect Pacemaker Function Mar 31, 2008
All patients had active pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), which were tested against four digital music players - two kinds of iPods (Apple Nano and Apple Video), SanDisk Sansa and Microsoft Zune. All patients were lying down during the tests (in case an arrhythmia occurred, causing them to faint), and each digital player was placed directly over the pacemaker or ICD. ... However, in 41 percent of patients, the music players interfered with telemetry, or communications... (Science Daily)
Lisa Curry Kenny to have heart surgery Mar 31, 2008
Curry Kenny will have a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted. The ICD can detect and deal with a dangerous, rapid heart rhythm by applying a burst of pacing or the delivery of an internal shock. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Study: iPods Do Not Interfere With Pacemaker Mar 30, 2008
The study involves 51 patients, all with active pacemakers or implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and the patient's average age is 22 years. The researchers played four different kinds of digital music directly over each patient's pacemaker or ICD.. (AHN)
iPods Don't Interfere with Pacemakers, Study Shows Mar 29, 2008
Their average age was 22 years, and they all had active pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). The researchers played four different kinds of digital music players (two kinds of iPods, a SanDisk Sansa and a Microsoft Zune) directly over the each patient's pacemaker or ICD. ... However, this study did find that in 41 percent of patients, the music players interfered with communications between the programmer and the pacemaker or ICD. The programmer is a computerized device... (MEDLINEplus)
Hacking fears over wireless pacemakers Mar 16, 2008
"The chance of an ICD being reprogrammed by a computer hacker is extremely remote," said a spokeswoman, using the abbreviation for implanted defibrillator ... The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the UK government agency which is responsible for ensuring that medical are acceptably safe says it will investigate: "Despite an extensive database of adverse incidents, the Agency has never received any reports of hacking associated with implantable medical devices such as... (Telegraph.co.uk)
Security Risks arise as Researchers Hack into Pacemakers Mar 16, 2008
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which includes pacemaker technology, can keep a record of heart activity, transmit information to a bedside station and adjust health workers to any dangerous or unusual activity. At the time of the testing phase, the research group could make a Medtronic device release sensitive patient information off its computer chip. (TechShout!)
Could Hackers Hit Pacemakers, Other Medical Implants? Mar 15, 2008
IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR WITH PACEMAKER: New research indicates that ICDs and other implantable medical devices may be susceptible to tampering when information is sent wirelessly to or from such a device ... It sounds like the far-fetched plot of a sci-fi thriller: Bad guys strike down a high-ranking politician or captain of industry by hacking into and remotely tinkering with his or her pacemaker, insulin pump, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or other medical implant... (Scientific American)
Watch a surgery online Feb 27, 2008
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a battery-powered device that significantly improves the chances of survival in people at high risk for these arrhythmias. . (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Medtronic's Profit Plunge Feb 20, 2008
In response, physicians and hospitals have dramatically pulled back on referrals for ICD units amid safety and insurance reimbursement problems. (See ). (Forbes -- Markets)
Doctors Uncertain About Approaches To Care For Heart Failure Patients, Study Finds Feb 15, 2008
For patients with advanced heart disease, though, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator can cause unnecessary discomfort and stress because it can continue to deliver shocks as the patient is dying. While the majority of physicians surveyed agreed that deactivating the device is appropriate with end-stage heart failure, very few heed this advice. (Science Daily)
Mercy Medical launches $15 million capital campaign Feb 12, 2008
EP procedures include pacemaker and ICD (implantable cardiac defibrillator) implantation, diagnostic and interventional studies, cardiac mapping and ablation (a process that disrupts faulty electrical signals in the heart). Neither the advanced da Vinci technology nor the specialized EP equipment are currently available in the Sioux City area. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Boston Scientific Announces CE Mark Approval for New Devices to Treat Heart Failure and Sudden Cardiac Death Jan 22, 2008
Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: ) today announced CE Mark approval for its COGNIS(TM) cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) and TELIGEN(TM) implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) ... The COGNIS CRT-D and the TELIGEN ICD are designed to eliminate those compromises ... Key features of the COGNIS CRT-D include: -- SmartDelay(TM): quickly proposes programmable device settings, which enables physicians to tailor individualized pacing... (PR Newswire)
Radio Ablation Cuts Need for Heart Shocks Dec 28, 2007
A team led by Dr. Mark Josephson of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that 64 heart attack patients who were first treated this way were less likely to develop a deadly rhythm than another 64 also given an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD without radio ablation. After about two years, 31 percent of the volunteers who only received a defibrillator experienced at least one shock compared to just 9 percent of those who first received the treatment. (Newsmax)
Catheter Ablation for the Prevention of Defibrillator Therapy Dec 27, 2007
Background For patients who have a ventricular tachyarrhythmic event, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are a mainstay of therapy to prevent sudden death. However, ICD shocks are painful, can result in clinical depression, and do not offer complete protection against death from arrhythmia ... We designed this randomized trial to examine whether prophylactic radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmogenic ventricular tissue would reduce the incidence of ICD therapy. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Medtronic approved to sell heart lead in Japan Dec 18, 2007
CHICAGO Medtronic Inc on Monday said it received approval from regulators in Japan to sell its Sprint Quattro lead used with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) that detect and treat rapid heart rhythms ... Medtronic in October suspended all sales of the Sprint Fidelis line of leads, or wires that link the heart to an ICD, upon finding the equipment may have contributed to five patient deaths. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Simple Test Spots Risk Following Heart Attack Dec 4, 2007
Studies that are expected to begin in 2008 will evaluate whether an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) can save the lives of patients with abnormalities in both the nervous system and the hearts electrical system. Until then, those at highest risk should receive intensive follow-up, Dr. Exner said. (Newsmax)
Defibrillators Not Dangerous While Driving Nov 28, 2007
The study included 1,188 people with such a device, whose formal name is implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The patients were followed for an average of 562 days, during which time the devices delivered a total of 193 shocks within one hour of driving -- a rate of one shock for every 25,116 person-hours driving. (MEDLINEplus)
Heart Devices Do Not Impair Quality of Life Nov 22, 2007
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators, usually referred to as ICDs, sense when the heart is beating too fast or erratically and provide a corrective, potentially life-saving, shock. The current findings suggest that while ICDs usually have little impact on quality of life, when they generate multiple shocks, the patient may suffer mentally and emotionally ... "As we put ICDs in larger number of patients for (protection against life-threatening heart beat abnormalities) we need to make sure we... (MEDLINEplus)
Medtronic net down 2 pct as ICD wire recall hurts Nov 20, 2007
Medtronic last month suspended sales of the Sprint Fidelis family of leads, or wires that link the heart to an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), saying the equipment may have contributed to five patient deaths ... Medtronic is the largest maker of ICDs -- life-saving devices that can shock a racing heartbeat back to normal rhythm -- with about 50 percent of the market ... 12 billion from a year ago, but sales of its ICDs declined 16 percent to $639 million. (ABC News -- Wire)
In medical trials, lack of diversity can kill Nov 20, 2007
Consider the implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), a pacemakerlike device designed to quell dangerously erratic heart rhythms and thus prevent deadly heart attacks ... When a patient's heart rhythm becomes dangerously erratic or rapid, the ICD delivers electrical shocks to the heart to jolt it back on track ... Early clinical trials indicated ICDs were more effective than drugs at treating patients whose heart problems put them at high risk for sudden cardiac death. (Sunspot.net -- Sports)
Early HRT Protects a Woman's Heart Nov 8, 2007
A final study presented Tuesday found that women are at higher risk for adverse events following implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which monitors and "paces" the heartbeat. "These results should not preclude women from receiving ICDs; however, the reasons should be investigated and, where possible, limited or at least measures taken to reduce the higher risk," said Dr. Pam Peterson, assistant professor of medicine at Denver Health Medical Center and the University... (MEDLINEplus)
Cardiologists Identify New Cardiac Arrest Gene Nov 2, 2007
To date, implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) have been placed in four affected patients. The original family member has had two episodes of ventricular fibrillation that were corrected by ICD shocks. (Science Daily)
Medtronic heart device injuries up in 2007: report Oct 17, 2007
On Monday, Medtronic halted sales of the Sprint Fidelis line of "leads," the wires that link the heart to an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, a life-saving device that can shock a racing heartbeat back to normal rhythm. Medtronic controls about half of the $6 billion market for ICDs. (Scientific American)
Defibrillators not being used, Duke study says Oct 16, 2007
Nearly 65 percent of people who are eligible for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator aren't receiving one, according to a recent study. But UI experts say no one reason explains the discrepancy, noting that it could be anything from a lack of information about the health device to various economic barriers. (Daily Iowan, IA)
Medtronic withdraws leads for heart devices Oct 16, 2007
Medtronic, the leading maker of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, asked doctors to stop implanting the Fidelis leads and return unused ones to Medtronic ... The withdrawal of the Fidelis leads is the second major blow to the ICD industry since 2005 when Medtronic's major rival, Guidant, now owned by Boston Scientific, had a string of safety-related issues ... ICD sales have yet to fully recover. (USA Today -- Money)
Medtronic suspends sale of heart device Oct 15, 2007
CURRENT ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS. October 15, 2007 SIDEBAR October 15, 2007. (Scientific American)
Boston Sci. cardiac device wins European approval Oct 10, 2007
-based Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX), which has a cardiac unit in Maple Grove, said its Confient ICD device won CE Mark approval, though it's still not available for sale in the United States. The Confient, which is about the size of a box of matches, is the first Boston Scientific-branded cardiac rhythm management device to prevent sudden cardiac death. (Twin Cities Business Journal, MN)
Study Finds Heart Treatment for US Women Less Aggressive Oct 5, 2007
That's a large effect, and that was surprising," said Lesley Curtis. Professor Curtis and her colleagues at Duke University in North Carolina reviewed the data on more than 200,000 patients in the U.S. They found, even if men and women had the same risk factors for heart attack, men were more likely to receive ICD's than women. Lesley Curtis"Clearly we need to do a lot more work to understand why this gap exists, and then do even more work to close the gap," said the professor. The researchers... (Voice of America)
Women Less Likely to Get Heart Defibrillators Oct 4, 2007
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), introduced about two decades ago, continually monitor heart rhythms and deliver electrical shocks to help control erratic rhythms ... Thanks to pivotal trials, Medicare expanded its coverage of ICDs in 2004 ... One trial also found that only a small proportion of women who were eligible received an ICD. But that trial, and others, were conducted before the Medicare expansion. (MEDLINEplus)
Women Less Likely Than Men To Receive ICDs For Prevention Of Sudden Cardiac Death Oct 3, 2007
Among Medicare patients, men are about 2-3 times more likely than women to receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, according to a study in the October 3 issue of JAMA. ... Research has shown the effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in preventing sudden cardiac death, and Medicare coverage of ICDs has expanded, but many eligible patients still do not receive them ... Editorial: Disparities in Use of Implantable... (Science Daily)
Women Are Given Fewer Devices Than Men to Prevent Sudden Death, Study Says Oct 3, 2007
The multibillion-dollar question is: Are too few ICDs for primary prevention being implanted in women and minorities or are too many ICDs being implanted in white men ... The studies provide the first data on whether lower ICD use among women and minorities in a real world setting leads to harm, Redberg wrote. (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Annual cardiology conference will be Oct. 17 Sep 24, 2007
He will describe the newest ablation and mapping techniques in that field and will discuss ICD implants in young patients. Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, M.D., FACC, FAHA, assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Abbott, Medtronic stent sales may rise on study Sep 7, 2007
The company also makes vascular products, insulin pumps, and artificial spinal discs, but its biggest market is for products that manage irregular heartbeats, such as pacemakers and ICDs. The ICD market has slowed dramatically since 2005 following a wave of product recalls, mostly by , which was acquired by Boston Scientific ... A Medtronic spokeswoman said about 500 jobs will be eliminated from the cardiac rhythm management business, which makes ICDs, and roughly 200 will be cut from its... (Boston Globe)
Riding Out the Storm with Quality Stocks Aug 22, 2007
On the ICD [implantable cardioverter-defibrillator] side, both Boston Scientific (BSX) and St. Jude (STJ) have said the market is firming up. Medtronic reports earnings later this month, and we'll see what happens. (MSNBC -- Business)
Athletic patients test debrillators limits Aug 21, 2007
With little scientific evidence to tell, leading cardiac guidelines recommend against most competitive sports for recipients of "implantable cardioverter defibrillators," or ICDs ... Disregarding doctors' advice"We all take care of patients with ICDs and we know that lots of them just say, 'I don't care what you say, I'm going to do this anyway,'" says Dr. Rachel Lampert, a heart specialist at Yale University School of Medicine who is leading the new study ... Forty percent reported their... (MSNBC -- Health)
* Cheney undergoes minor surgery for heartbeat monitor Jul 30, 2007
The device, known as an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, "was successfully replaced without complication," said Cheney spokesperson Megan McGinn. The operation "went as well as could have been expected," McGinn said, adding that the vice president was back at his home and had resumed his normal schedule. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Vice President Dick Cheney to have minor surgery to get new battery for heart device Jul 28, 2007
"During the vice president's annual physical examination in June, testing of his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator indicated that the device's battery has reached the level where elective replacement of the device is recommended," Megan McGinn, deputy press secretary for Cheney, said Friday. Doctors must replace the entire battery part of the defibrillator, which would shock his heart if he experiences an irregular heartbeat. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
ICDs Effective In Helping To Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death In Patients With Certain Heart Disorder Jul 26, 2007
High-risk patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathyappear to have reduced risk of sudden cardiac death with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that terminates dangerous heart rhythm disorders, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA. ... Only in the last few years has the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) been systematically used as a potentially life-saving treatment in high-risk patients with HCM, according to background information in the article. (Science Daily)
Defibrillators Can Control Dangerous Heart Condition Jul 26, 2007
And a number of people benefiting from the implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) had only one risk factor for sudden cardiac death, meaning that more people may benefit, a new study suggests ... Implantable defibrillators (ICDs), which terminate these dangerous rhythm disturbances, have become routine over the past few years in high-risk patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ... "It's traditionally difficult to determine precisely which patients among all with this disease are at... (MEDLINEplus)
ICD Devices May Save Enlarged Hearts Jul 25, 2007
ICDs are surgically implanted devices that are designed to note abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electrical shock to make hearts beat properly ... (WebMD) Heart devices called implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) may help protect people with enlarged hearts from sudden cardiac death, a new study shows ... ICDs are surgically implanted devices that are designed to note abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electrical shock to make hearts beat properly. (CBS News)
Medtronic debuts wireless cardiac devices in Japan Jul 7, 2007
The products, including the Concerto cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D) and Virtuoso implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) -- include wireless systems that let doctors monitor a patient's pulse remotely and automatically receive data from the device. That reduces the time needed for follow-up visits. (Twin Cities Business Journal, MN)
Worldwide Clinical Trial Of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Announced Jun 26, 2007
More than 1000 patients with advanced heart failure (NYHA class III) will be randomized to CRT or no CRT and patients in both study arms will receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) backup to protect against sudden cardiac death. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether CRT will reduce the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for cardiovascular events. (Science Daily)
'Sudden, unreal'World turned around by having to live with rare heart condition Jun 25, 2007
Mr Morgan was told he would need an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) to be placed in his chest, which regulates the heart and delivers an electrical shock to reset the heart if an irregular rhythm is detected ... Since the ICD was fitted, it has done its job, including an incident when Mr Morgan had four shocks simultaneously last November while he was leaving church ... "And I can't go through scanners in airports - [the ICD is] titanium could set scanner off but it could also affect the... (BBC News -- Health)
University of Zurich announces worldwide clinical trial of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Jun 23, 2007
" More than 1000 patients with advanced heart failure (NYHA class III) will be randomized to CRT or no CRT and patients in both study arms will receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) backup to protect against sudden cardiac death. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether CRT will reduce the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for cardiovascular events. Heart Failure and Ventricular Dyssynchrony Implications and Therapy Approaches Heart... (EurekAlert!)
Hypertension Jun 21, 2007
What Causes It and How Do You Treat It. How do you get high blood pressure and can it be cured. (Suite101.com)
Experts Debate Limits on Implanted Defibrillator Use Jun 20, 2007
MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can save heart patients' lives, but certain patients -- older people, or those with lung disease, kidney disease or heart failure -- are less likely to benefit from them than others, a new Canadian study shows ... ICDs cost around $30,000 each, plus hospital and doctor costs, according to data from the Connecticut Hospital Association ... In addition, follow-up care and replacement of ICD components, can cost... (MEDLINEplus)
Plus: Johnson & Johnson'sNext Baby? Jun 11, 2007
In 2005, he was locked in a bidding war for Guidant, a struggling manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices (ICDs) ... "I guess you have to be pretty cold about it and say that [ICDs] would be a nice space to be in, but it has to be at a price that's going to return value to shareholders." ... But they're put off by how long it's taking for doctors to regain confidence in ICDs. (BusinessWeek)
Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest dismal Jun 1, 2007
However, those who receive internal cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have a significant advantage, it seems ... ADVERTISEMENT (article continues below) However, in the 9 patients who had ICDs implanted, the 3-year survival rate was 77 percent ... "The small subgroup of patients who received ICDs did extremely well post-discharge," Bloom said. (Scientific American)
Researchers Discover Overdiagnosis Of Long QT Heart Syndrome Jun 1, 2007
About 10 percent had undergone surgery to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a treatment for LQTS.. "Two of every five patients who were referred to us with the diagnosis of LQTS left Mayo Clinic without the diagnosis," explains Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph. (Science Daily)
Medtronic profit up as ICD sales improve May 23, 2007
Medtronic said the U.S. market for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), which can save lives by shocking racing hearts back to normal rhythm, grew 5 percent from the quarter before, although industry sales remain softer than a year ago ... "The ICD number looks pretty solid. There were some very low expectations, especially if you saw how the stock was trading heading into the quarter," Leerink Swann analyst Jason Wittes said ... The ICD market has not recovered as quickly as some had... (ABC News -- Wire)
Medtronic Profit Paced by Cardiac Implants May 23, 2007
The market for the heart devices, known as ICDs, has been rocky since industry recalls in 2005, but recent first-quarter reports from Medtronic competitors Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) and St. Jude Medical Inc. (STJ) indicated some stabilization. The results from Medtronic, the largest ICD maker, appeared to back those positive signs ... The Minneapolis-based company reported ICD revenue for the quarter ended in late April of $770 million, rising 1. (SmartMoney)
Implanted Defibrillators Are Getting Better May 12, 2007
"That was true of all three manufacturers. They are failing less often, and fewer patients are experiencing adverse events due to ICD [implantable cardioverter defibrillator] failure." ... An ICD registry has been developed that requires listing of all hospitals in the United States, noted Dr. Stephen Hammill, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and past president of the Heart Rhythm Society ... The basics of ICDs are explained by the. (Health-Finder)
A Golden Age For Medicine May 8, 2007
This market includes implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs. In 2005 and 2006, the ICD segment was hurt by a series of product recalls by leading suppliers, including market leader Boston Scientific ... () After a flat global ICD market in 2006, Gold expects the market to start growing again, by about 7% in 2007. (Investors Business Daily)
Implantable Defibrillator Wires Prone to Failure May 1, 2007
"Several years ago, I wrote an editorial that called the ICD [implantable cardioverter defibrillator] lead the Achilles heel of this therapy," Ellenbogen said. "It is important not to install an ICD and forget about the patient. These patients need to be followed closely and carefully to detect problems many years after they are implanted." ... ICDs should be checked frequently, as often as once a month in some cases, Ellenbogen added. (Washington Post)
Guidant deal looking better with time Apr 23, 2007
The devices for patients with fragile hearts, known as ICDs, once experienced rapid growth that was expected to resume last year ... The problem, some believe, is that Boston Scientific aggressively bid without a good sense of where ICDs were headed ... As Tobin said, the ICD market is 20 percent smaller at this point than Boston Scientific had anticipated. (Boston Globe -- Business)
Implantable Defibrillators Offer Heart Patients a Better Quality of Life Apr 13, 2007
WEDNESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) help heart disease patients live longer, lead more active lives and enjoy a quality of life comparable to that of average Americans ... It also concluded that patients with ICDs -- electronic monitoring devices that deliver a lifesaving shock to the heart in the event of cardiac arrest -- have a high level of satisfaction with the units, a finding that offsets longstanding perceptions that ICDs extend, but... (MEDLINEplus)
Company Notifies Doctors of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Battery Issue Apr 12, 2007
MedlinePlus: Company notifies doctors of ICD battery issue. Company notifies doctors of ICD battery issue ... Accelerated battery depletion was found to have occurred in 19 of about 73,000 devices in the Vitality family of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) that restore heart rhythms and Contak Renewal line of cardiac resynchronization therapy devices, the company's most sophisticated devices to treat heart failure. (MEDLINEplus)
Penn study finds ICD devices offer heart patients life-saving benefits Apr 6, 2007
PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine have discovered that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) -- electric monitoring devices that deliver a lifesaving shock in the event of a cardiac arrest -- help patients with heart problems live longer more active lives. Further, the study found most patients living with ICDs enjoy a quality of life consistent with average Americans their age and have a high level of satisfaction with the device,... (EurekAlert!)
Muscle Stem Cells May Offer A New Treatment Option For Congestive Heart Failure Mar 28, 2007
One patient with a prior history of ventricular tachycardia (abnormal heart rhythm) and pre-existing ICD implantation experienced ventricular tachycardia nine days after cell transplantation that was managed successfully. "In this study, we learned that ASM transplantation using a minimally invasive catheter is safe, showed improvement in quality of life and may have the potential to improve cardiac function," said Dr. Dib. (Science Daily)
Restricted Driving Urged for Heart Device Patients Feb 10, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New guidelines recommend precautionary measures when it comes to driving for people who have been given an implantable defibrillator, called an ICD. ... The guidelines, issued by the American Heart Association and the Heart Rhythm Society on Wednesday, update and expand upon driving restrictions for patients with ICDs that were mentioned briefly in early guidelines ... In 1996, the groups published an advisory that largely focused on individuals who had been given an... (MEDLINEplus)
